Turn Traitor
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: When she didn't even know who the good guys were anymore, Ventress knew she had turned traitor one too many times. Dooku had betrayed her, and there was only one way left to turn: the Jedi she had sworn to kill, if only for her revenge against the Sith.
1. Chapter 1

_This can't last forever;  
Time won't make things better!  
I feel so alone…  
Can't help myself…  
And no one knows-  
If this is worthless-  
Tell me!!_

Pain. Searing pain.

That was all Ventress felt when she woke up. But still, she couldn't concentrate on that; she couldn't afford to let her mind wander. That idiot Skywalker-where was he? She was going to cut that shit to pieces, she really was! He needed to learn to respect a lady, or at least defeat her graciously! Now, Ventress didn't really consider herself a hypocrite for thinking like so: women were to be respected more so than men, because they deserved it. Hell, they did all the work, and men got all the credit. Like having children. Yikes…Ventress couldn't even think about that right now. She had considered having children, settling down with someone who knew how to treat a lady right, but then decided not to. Way too much pain for her deal with, both physical, emotionally, and mentally. She just couldn't take the pressure.

Ha. Pain. Pressure. Without it. Ha-ha. Good one.

Here she was-well, where was she, actually? Ventress slowly opened her eyes, looking around her, both to get her bearings and to see who had awoken her. It must be someone powerful, to have woken her from her trance, for the reason she had awoken was because of a shiver she felt in the Force-a shiver unbearably close, and unbearably light. Well, she was almost healed, anyway: for all she knew, it could be some lost droid a Jedi touched. She was a bit hypersensitive to light anyway. But, upon looking around, Ventress saw no one. Well, she could hardly see at all through the thick wall of bacta-

Thick wall of bacta? Oh, come, _on!!_

Well, at least she was alive. Ventress would grudgingly consent to that. She would also admit to being happy about still being alive. But seriously, as if being tied up in electrical cords wasn't bad enough. Next he just had to throw her down an elevator shaft, huh?! The boy couldn't just wait a minute, or leave her, or something? Argh, couldn't even end it mercifully. Had to leave her bleeding and two-thirds dead at the bottom of a ten-story elevator shaft. Freak was gonna pay for that one…

Ventress could feel her wounds healing, though. Her flesh had closed up; most of the muscle filled in. Still, the tissue was damaged, and she needed to remain in the bacta, she knew. Still, getting out and moving a little wouldn't hurt, would it? She was feeling a little weak. She needed something to eat, and she needed to maybe take a shower. She felt filthy, even though her body was relatively clean. She hadn't showered in a while, and, although the bacta cleaned the most of her body off, there was no substitute for soap. And she needed a shave. Ew, her legs were probably disgusting…

Ventress pushed herself to the top of the bacta tank as if swimming up through water, catching the edge of the tank at the top and pulling herself up and onto the platform next to it. She hauled herself up using only her arms (the least damaged part of her body, she knew) and sat down, feet still dangling into the bacta, and pulled the oxygen mask off her face. Ventress set the mask down next to her on the platform, leaned over, and switched it off on the generator next to the platform. The Sith woman then slowly stood up, trying to test her limits and see where her weak points lay. Obviously, the places where the electrical cords had shocked her were going to be looking nasty-and the burned, charred stripes across her skin denoted exactly where-but, other than a few twinges in the muscle and possibly skeletal damage, she was going to be fine.

"Feeling better?"

Ventress almost fell over. That voice…Obi-Wan Kenobi! He was on her hit list, too, and he was second only to Anakin Skywalker. They were both dead men when she got her hands on them! "You," Ventress hissed, hands balling into fists at her sides. Her eyes narrowed with anger, and she felt her chest swelling up with rage-more so even than usual. "You are _so _dead!!"

"Watch," Obi-Wan said casually, gesturing to the edge of the platform. "Long way down."

Ventress ignored him, leaping off the end of the platform and landing cat-footed in front of Kenobi. She seized the front of his shirt and swung him around-a full one hundred and eighty degrees-so she was in a position above his. "Where is my master?" she hissed softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where is Count Dooku?" He couldn't have left her-she was his best apprentice! He had to still be here-if he cared about her enough to rescue her, to put her in bacta, then there was no way he was going to leave her! Still, Ventress had to know where he was: just for the record books. She wanted to get there as fast as possible, and searching for him through the Force was going to prove troublesome in her condition.

"On a ship," Obi-Wan replied, pointing to the door out of the room, "With Grievous. Poor thing got chopped to pieces. Really messed him up. I believe they had the engines running when I last-"

"Jedi scum!" Ventress shoved Obi-Wan to the floor, sudden fury coursing through her veins. He lied! He had to lie! Ventress started for the door, but paused, given her near-clothes-less state. They had stripped her of any and all clothing she had worn before, and put her in the bacta nearly naked. Ventress was horrified to discover that both her underwear and her bra were slipping. She hurriedly righted the garments, and then seized her clothes and dressed quickly, trying her best to ignore the slightly amused gaze of Obi-Wan. He almost looked like he pitied her, but was too amused by her antics to say what he wanted to say. "If I had a lightsaber, I would kill you!!" Ventress hissed, buckling her double-strapped belt around her hips. Obi-Wan shrugged. She wasn't looking too threatening at this point. Ventress settled her bandages around her waist, tying them in place and then charging out the door. She couldn't find her lightsabers, anyway. Obi-Wan looked like he had finally decided to say something, but then stopped again. She was gone before he could get in another word.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Ventress bolted from the room, searching desperately for her lightsabers through the Force. She had a much stronger bond with them through the life-energies around her, given that her own energy was the only energy that had ever laid hands upon it. And, if any other energy had been in contact with it, it was dead soon after, anyway. Ventress did manage to find her lightsabers, but they were far out of reach-in the hangar bay. _They must be on the ship Dooku's on with Grievous, _she thought, desperately trying to rectify her master's actions towards her. Ventress increased her speed, trying to reach the landing platform in time. She couldn't slow Dooku down-he would be angry with her, she knew. And so, she ran. Her wounds fought her viciously: her legs burned where the cables had cut into them. Her skin seared where the electrical currents had been delivered. Ventress shut out the roaring in her ears and the throbbing of her heartbeat, trying not to focus on the growing pain. Her muscles screamed at her to get back in the bacta, if only for another few hours-it would enable her body to heal to the fullest, and Force knew she would need to after pushing herself like this. Ventress felt her body begin to sweat, realizing its own over exertion. Her lungs begged her to stop; her rational mind told her to go back, she had been abandoned. But still, Ventress still blindly held onto hope, unable to accept that she would be left behind. As she neared the hangar bay, the roar of engines could be heard, blotting out the pounding of her own heart and steady draw of breath in and out of her lungs. Ventress continued to focus on one step at a time, gathering her skirts into her hands and moving faster. She could hear the sound of footsteps, running as well, as well as the metallic clang of droid's feet. As Ventress drew closer, she could see Dooku fleeing up a loading ramp to a ship, two of Grievous's IG-101 Magnaguards not far behind him. She bolted out the door, finding herself on the main hangar dock. And there, right in front of her, walking up the landing ramp of a ship, was Dooku.

Ventress slowed, raising her arm to shield her eyes from the sudden light. She could make out Dooku, seemingly running all the faster now, and figured he didn't know she was there, chasing after him.

"Wait!" Ventress cried, taking off after the Sith. Dooku turned around once, and then simply continued up the landing ramp. Ventress could hear him say something to the guard on his right, but she couldn't make it out. She increased her speed still, feeling her muscles begin to tear from the extreme overworking they were being given. _He knows I'm here, now, _Ventress thought. _He awakened me through the Force, and Kenobi just happened to be there-he was waiting._ But, no matter how many times she said it to herself, she couldn't make it come true. Dooku was drawing away, and one of Grievous's IG-101 Magnaguards was appearing at the top of the ramp, blaster in hand-

"Ventress, don't! He's going to kill you!" she could hear behind her. Kenobi? Who was he to tell her not to pursue her master?! Still, she didn't have time for him. She couldn't even turn around, or tell him to shut his mouth. She would be wasting valuable breath. She bolted for the ship, just as the Magnaguard turned around and aimed. Ventress's heart jumped-the muzzle of the blaster was aimed right at her! But then, she realized that Kenobi was behind her, and thought that the guard was aiming for him. Ventress continued to run, and she could have reached out and touched the ramp when the Magnaguard pulled the trigger on the rifle-

Ventress ran herself right into the bullet.

The force of the impact stopped her in her tracks. For a moment, Ventress stood, fighting tears, suddenly knowing that now, she couldn't kid herself anymore. Dooku had taken off-just like the ship. Ventress vaguely remembered collapsing to her knees, reaching out fruitlessly to stop them, but to no avail-

Ventress could feel blood beginning to leak out over her hands as she clutched at the wound, unable to comprehend in her pain-drunken state the severity of her wound. She could focus on nothing bout the betrayal-how much Dooku had strung her along, when all he ever wanted was a tool in his hand, someone to do his dirty work for him-

"Ventress?"

He was close. She could feel his presence, and almost feel his breathing down her neck. Although he was still several feet away, she could hear his heartbeat, feel his emotions: she drew his breath, he screamed her rage, she thought his thoughts, he felt her wound as if it were his own-

Ventress vaguely remembered bolting to her feet and, in her blind rage, she buried her fist in Obi-Wan's stomach. He allowed her some measure of dignity by allowing her to land glancing blows throughout their brief fist-fight, Ventress being without a weapon and in great distress, but eventually, he decided to put her out of her misery. Her weak blows were doing little more than accenting the occasional twinge of pain from stretching a limb too far when one wakes up in the morning. Obi-Wan decided to simply put Ventress out of her misery, moving to wrestle her to ground and knock her unconscious. But, Anakin moved first. Obi-Wan shouted to Anakin something like, "No, don't!" but Ventress's muddled mind couldn't comprehend it. She could only feel the stabbing pain of the blue saber suddenly protruding from her chest.

And then, her memory failed her. But, she knew that there was still time before the world was veiled with black.

OOOOOOOOOO

Obi-Wan knew he was too late when he reached her.

He felt awful for her, but still, he knew he couldn't help her. The second he had her in his arms, trying to reach her without a saber-he knew it! There was a part of her Dooku hadn't corrupted! Deep down inside, she was still a fragile little girl, suddenly forced to grow up too fast, too young, when her parents were killed by the vicious warlords of her planet. Everything she had ever known and loved was gradually stripped away, until, now, on this landing platform, she truly had nothing.

"You are no Jedi, girl," he recited, hearing the words of Jedi master Fay coming back to him. He knelt by Ventress's dying body, placing a hand on the side of her face and trying to find a pulse of life within the energies surrounding her. "You are simply hatred and bile given form." He shook his head, feeling nothing to signify the life within her. Anakin walked up next to him, frowning. He deactivated his saber, clipping it to his belt as he asked,

"Dead?"

Obi-wan nodded. "Poor girl," he said. "Dooku abandoned her at the last minute. I woke her up by accident-it was supposed to be a clean break." He shook his head again, trying to tear Ventress from his line of vision. But still, all he could see was her tear-stained face, for once, not enraged, but instead fearful, naïve, innocent, unprepared for the betrayal ahead, so blindly devoted to her master, she couldn't see it coming, not if it was spelled out for her in neon letters.

"I almost feel bad," Anakin said slowly, watching his master pick up the lifeless body. "But what are you doing?"

"We're taking her corpse back to the Temple," he said shortly. "If she can cry at betrayal, she deserves at least a decent burial."

Anakin couldn't say he approved, but he knew, deep down, that it was right.

**A/N: Three-part fic planned out. What happens to Ventress after Dooku betrays her. Kind of a heart-breaker, but hey, everybody loves angst! : ) I can't believe I'm doing another Star Wars fic-I have never been on this much of a roll. But, it wouldn't leave me alone, so, yeah…review, please. Feed the endangered banthas of Tattooine.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ventress could feel her body awakening again some time later. How long had it been? She had passed out and woken up again so many times lately that she considered herself lucky if she even got the year right. After Anakin stabbed her, she had put herself into a Sith trance. One of the many things Dooku taught her. It was mainly subconscious, as Ventress couldn't even remember the last four days. She had healed most of her wounds in this trance-days, then. What month was it, though? Last time she remembered formally checking the date was the time before last she passed out, about a week ago. She had kept track of the date from then on, but she had forgotten again-

"_Ah!!"_

Upon waking herself up, Ventress found that the only thing on her mind was pain. Searing pain. Blinding pain. And she had no idea where it was coming from. She thought she had healed all her wounds! Was there still this much damage…? Ventress instinctively curled herself up into a ball, clenching her teeth together to keep from screaming again. If she was lucky, no one had noticed her, and would just leave her alone. Ventress clutched at her sides, and a small whimper passed through her throat. The pain, the searing pain! It burned her like the acid of a Sarlaac's stomach, but, strangely, the pain was centered in her stomach, not her chest. What had happened after she passed out…?

"Easy now," a female voice whispered. A gentle hand on her shoulder moved her back to lay down, and Ventress found herself unaware that she had even been sitting up to begin with. "Quite the reflexes you have, there," the woman continued. "You can open your eyes, you know. It might help just a little."

Ventress didn't like this woman's sense of sarcasm. Even if it wasn't really sarcasm, it still stung. Ventress slowly opened her eyes, just concentrating on drawing deep breaths and keeping her heartbeat going. In, and out, in and out, in and out…inhaling and exhaling was a chore at this rate. Ventress found her throat burning, but from what, she didn't know. She probably swallowed some bacta…but she wasn't allergic. As far as she knew…well, whatever. Deal with it later. She had probably been panting too much for her throat's good the past few days. Did she really run out of breath this easily, or was it just her injuries again?

Once she got her breathing under control, Ventress tried to-very slowly-open her eyes. At first, all she could see was a blinding flash of white. She gasped in pain, but fought not to close her eyes again. The flash passed, and colors began to assemble themselves. Orange and white were the main colors, but the white here was softer, and it looked more like skin. Blue began to work itself into multiple places…and, beyond that, Ventress was having trouble seeing. But, slowly, after blinking a few times, the room came into focus.

It was a plain room; the walls were a neutral cream, with a window at one end and a door at the other. There was a holorprojector against the opposite wall from where Ventress lay, she guessed on a bed in a medical ward. There was a Togruta sitting next to her, looking like a worried mother in the emergency room after her son fell off his first landspeeder. It took Ventress a second to register the Togruta in front of her-a Jedi! And…no…no, not her, anyone but-

"Shaak Ti!"

Ventress shot back, recoiling with a look of disgust on her face. Her hands immediately went to her waist, searching for her sabers, but two orange hands gently, but firmly caught hers. "Your lightsabers were lost," Shaak Ti said slowly, staring intently into Ventress's icy blue eyes with her own dark sable ones. The liquid pools of coal would drive Ventress mad, she knew, if she looked into them for too long. Shaak Ti's eyes were like pools of quicksand, died black and spiraling ever downward. And the more you struggled, the faster she would pull you under. Ventress tried to struggle against Shaak Ti's oppressive grip, but found herself unable to even put up a decent struggle. "Listen to me," Shaak Ti said slowly still, capturing Ventress again in her ebony gaze. Ventress felt a shiver go down her spine-this Togruta wasn't mortal! Not with that gaze!

"Listen to me," Shaak Ti repeated. "Listen to me, this is the truth. Count Dooku betrayed you. He had you shot as you tried to reach him on the landing platform. You remember that much?" Ventress nodded numbly, stricken by the painful memories. "After that, you went into a subconscious frenzy, just trying to kill everything you saw. You attacked Obi-Wan Kenobi as he tried to save you. Anakin Skywalker killed you by impaling your heart on his lightsaber. Or, so we thought. It turned out, as your "corpse" was brought back to us, that you had put yourself into a Sith trance to heal, and were very much alive. We placed you in bacta to aid your healing. You've only been out for two days so far. By all means, you should have been out for a week. But, you, Ventress, are extraordinary by your connection with the Force. You subconsciously channeled it around you and into you, and healed yourself far faster than even bacta could. Not many can do that. You are on the same level as myself, in that aspect." Shaak Ti paused, waiting for Ventress to absorb this information. Her gaze had averted to her hands, which Shaak Ti still held in her own. She seemed to have calmed down, and nodded slightly at Shaak Ti's pause. The Togruta's orange forehead markings twitched with an awkward imitation of a human's eyebrows furrowing. "Can I trust you enough to let go of you?"

Ventress paused again, then took a glance at Shaak Ti and nodded. Her eyes fell just as quickly, though, and she felt Shaak Ti's cool hands leaving her skin. The Togruta's hands were chilly, almost cold against her feverish skin, and Ventress felt herself shiver as Shaak Ti's touch renewed over her wrists. "Now, may I continue?" Ventress nodded, biting at her lower lip in concern. She wasn't even sure she wanted to hear what was next, but she knew that she needed to know-for rather obvious reasons.

"You are now in the medical ward of the Jedi Temple. Clearly, you know who I am, so I don't have to introduce myself to you. I am guarding you, in the situation that you did wake up. Also, I didn't want you to be moved to the prisons, on account of your wounds and your possible lack of memory. But, that's obviously not a concern. I want to talk with you, and see if we can arrange a compromise. Can you handle that?"

Ventress nodded, and Shaak Ti reached over to a side table, leaning out a bit and picking up several small pieces of metal and plastic from the table. She leaned back over to Ventress and opened her hand, revealing what looked to be computer chips.

"These were implanted in your brain. They amplify rage. Dooku had these surgically implanted in you to see if you could still be of use to him, even after he abandoned you. He knew Obi-Wan and Anakin would find you, and he was hoping your rage at them would be strengthened by these implants-strengthened enough to make you obsessed with the hunt, to kill them at any cost." Shaak Ti looked sad when Ventress looked over at her again-she was staring at the chips as if staring at a bloodied vibro-blade, used to murder in cold blood for no purpose at all. "But, you pushed yourself too far, and overrode the chips. You couldn't feel rage when he betrayed you so-he was hoping for a clean break, so you would never have the chance to feel pain, or suffering." Shaak Ti placed the chips down on the table again, turning away from Ventress for a moment. But a sharp gasp drew her gaze back as fast as she could turn her head.

Ventress was hiding her face in her hands, sharp hitches of breath catching in her throat.

Shaak Ti's gaze immediately softened, and she gently reached over and touched Ventress's hands. "Are you crying?" she asked softly, trying to see if there was still hope for the fallen Sith.

"_Kill me!!"_

Shaak Ti was taken aback by Ventress's words. She couldn't imagine why Ventress would want to die, especially after she had gone through so much trouble to survive so far. She had lived through so much-why choose the coward's way out now?

"Kill me," Ventress repeated, voice shaking with a mix of terrifying emotions. She was afraid, enraged, depressed, tearful, confused, and she just didn't have any idea what to do. Her hands fell from her face, revealing her running makeup and wide, tear-filled eyes. Ventress practically lunged for Shaak Ti, begging, "I can't live like this! I am nothing!" As she spoke, the tears started to come-at first, welling up in the corners of her eyes, but then spilling down over the dried tear tracks of before. The bacta hadn't been able to remove them, nor the running makeup Ventress was wearing. Traditional Rattataki makeup, Shaak Ti recognized. Even as it ran down Ventress's face in streaks, making it look as if her face was streaked in blood, she didn't look threatening. Her blue eyes were wide, confused, magnified by the tears in front of them-Ventress just looked like a lost little girl. And Shaak Ti held nothing but pity for her.

"I am nothing!" Ventress repeated, struggling to her knees. She turned to face Shaak Ti, hands outstretched, begging for the sweet embrace of death. "I am nothing but hatred given form! I am nothing but bile given form! Fay said it! Skywalker said it! Kenobi said it! Dooku said it! _Sidious_ said it! Say it now! You say it! Say it as you kill me! Rip my heart from my chest, I don't even want you to use a weapon! Please, I don't care how, just take my life! I cannot live as nothing but a tool, to be used and then thrown away like trash when I will get in the way." Ventress's voice had cracked, and now she simply sat, trying to control herself. Shaak Ti sat still as well, but she was trying to comprehend what she had just heard. For a moment, neither woman moved: Shaak Ti out of fear that she would harm Ventress with whatever she did or said, and Ventress, afraid that if she moved, the killing blow would miss, and simply cause her more pain. But still, the instinctive action of her mouth dropping open, her hand coming up to cover it, was too great for the Togruta to ignore. Shaak Ti's bond with the Force allowed her to deeply feel Ventress's emotions-and she felt them overwhelmingly.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Ventress finally snapped, tears still flying from desperate eyes. "Go on, take my life! Do it, or I'll do it myself! I'll-I'll bite off my tongue, and drown myself in my own blood-"

"Don't you dare."

Shaak Ti's tone was harsh, and she was suddenly very aggressive. Her hands twitched in her lap, as if dying to execute her next words. Ventress held her ground, however: she did not seem afraid, only deeply upset and disturbed. "If you ever say that again," Shaak Ti growled, "I will restrain you. And I don't care what I have to do, I will force you to live, if only as punishment for saying that. I will tie you down and I will gag you, I do not care. You. Will. Live."

Now, Ventress was the one taken aback. She couldn't possibly wrap her mind around why she would possibly be wanted in this world. Why would someone defend her life so vehemently? Someone who didn't even know her, hell, someone whose entire life was formed around destroying her kind! For the next few minutes, neither moved-still. The stalemate was wearing on Ventress, though; her inability to stare back into Shaak Ti's eyes, suddenly no longer so gentle, was putting her at a severe disadvantage. Her mind, only knowing violence in the past, could not understand why living through such failure, such betrayal, could justify her through till the end.

Ventress broke first.

"Fine," she spat, looking down and away from Shaak Ti. She sat back on her heels, gathering her hands into her lap and simply staring at her fingernails. Blood was gathering under the ragged edges-who had she scratched? Herself? It was feasible, at this rate. Ventress slowly turned over her arms, looking for the injuries. None. Of course. Not even a scar. Then, whose blood was this?

"You did that during your struggle with Obi-Wan. He got one of your hands, and you didn't like it. You drew four vicious scratches across his face."

Ventress sighed, closing her eyes and fighting back more tears. She couldn't even look at her own hands anymore! What was she? Such a monster that couldn't even look in the mirror? Not even her own face that disgusted her-her hands. Hands that had wrought much destruction, and brought much turmoil. Hands that had tortured, had kidnapped, had betrayed, had killed-! Ventress allowed nothing more than a dry sob to escape her throat, nothing more. She had vowed never to show weakness, and now was not the time to start! In the hands of her enemies, in the face of danger, begging for death-disgraceful. But, the more she berated herself for showing weakness, the more weakness began to show. Ventress could feel the hurt welling up in the corners of her eyes, and then spilling over in pearly droplets of sadness. Shaak Ti glanced over at Ventress, worried, and then leaned over to the table again. On it were several folded towels; Shaak Ti had brought them with her to clean the blood from Ventress's body. She had anticipated a much more climactic battle. Now, instead, she touched the towel to Ventress's face, wiping the tears away and trying to comfort her as best she could.

"You're better than him," she whispered, pressing the towel into Ventress's hands. "He couldn't possibly have had a more loyal apprentice than you. And he threw you away. Don't you think that maybe your purposes are better served?"

Ventress didn't answer.

Shaak Ti felt a small bark of laughter escape; it was almost a sound of disgust, but it so closely resembled laughter that there was hardly a difference. "Poor girl," she said softly, looking in the opposite direction from Ventress. Her thoughts were elsewhere, and such was her gaze. "The Sith always betray each other. But I'm sure you've figured that out by now. But, consider this: have you ever, even once, seen a Jedi betray another Jedi?"

Ventress still held her silence.

"Think about that," Shaak Ti said softly, and Ventress felt the Togruta's weight leave the bed. She bit at her lower lip again, and this time, a trickle of blood ran down the chalk white skin of her chin. Ventress let it run for a moment, but then raised the towel to her lips and gently dabbed the blood off. Shaak Ti left her alone in the room, the door sliding closed behind her with a soft hiss of air pressure driving the door closed. Ventress's hands fell to her knees again, and she just sat for a moment, mulling over, in her mind, Shaak Ti's words.

On second thought, she raised the towel to her face again, and wiped off the rest of her frightening Rattataki makeup.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Master Ti!"

Shaak Ti paused in her steps, halfway down the corridor leading away from Ventress's room. She turned around halfway to acknowledge the male behind her. Anakin trotted up to meet her, before falling into step next to the Togruta master. "Well?" he pressed. "The autopsy?"

"Autopsy?" Shaak Ti repeated, pasting a confused look on her face. "Anakin, why would need an autopsy for her? She's still very much alive!"

Anakin froze for a second, but Shaak Ti kept walking. She decided it was best to let him absorb the information at his own pace. She decided, also, that Anakin should be kept away from Ventress-for both of their sakes. Seeing Anakin might invoke Ventress's dark side past, and might cause Anakin to feel emotions he should probably leave alone. The two bore a terrifying vendetta against each other-and the scar across Anakin's left eye said so, too. He was lucky he hadn't lost the eye. Ventress was merciful in letting him keep his life, let alone his eye. But then, had she really intended to hurt him from the beginning? Shaak Ti sighed, hearing Anakin's footsteps finally run up to meet her again.

"What are you talking about?" he growled, trying desperately to keep himself under control. "I speared that witch in from the heart myself-she is dead for good this time, I killed her twice!"

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Sith trance," she said matter-of-factly. Anakin was still floored by this new realization, but at least he was able to walk again. He shook himself a bit, swore once or twice, but said nothing for a moment. Shaak Ti's guess was, he was still taking it all in.

"So?" he finally said. "What are we going to do about her?"

"I'm on my way to a Council meeting strictly about her," Shaak Ti said. "I was just leaving for it when you caught me. She woke up a few minutes ago. And before you ask-" Shaak Ti turned to face Anakin, stopping him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. She held up one finely-boned hand, one finger raised in emphasis. "If you go in there, you share her fate. If you provoke her, you share her fate, doubled. If you dare harm her, in any way, you will be banished from the Order, I will see to it personally. Am. I. Clear?"

Anakin nodded quickly. He had never seen Shaak Ti, of all Jedi, so aggressive! She was normally such a calming presence-she was a healer, a guardian, a permanent fixture on the Council, rumored to be the best blades-being the Order ever produced, basically the epitaph of a perfect Jedi-and now she was scolding him and defending a Sith?! Still, Anakin decided, wisely, to just take her word at face value, and just do whatever she demanded. Question later. Shaak Ti nodded once, and then walked off, headed, presumably, for the Council chamber.

Anakin was left shivering, almost frightened of the Togruta.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Well, Master Ti? The Rattataki?"

Shaak Ti sighed, trying to gather her thoughts in response to Mace Windu's question. He, and most of the other Council members, was partial to killing off Ventress for her past crimes. But, Obi-Wan, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto wanted the former Sith to stay, at least for a little while. Plo Koon had jabbed at Kit, asking if he meant to keep Ventress as a pet, and earned himself a decent smack from Shaak Ti-in the form of a Force-thrown piece of fruit that had been her lunch. Shaak Ti retrieved the fruit, also by using the Force, and promptly began to nibble at the flesh of such as the meeting progressed. She could say, easily, that she was in a sour mood. And, of course, the Council's bias was just making it worse. Yoda scolded her for using the Force so frivolously, to which Shaak Ti muttered an apology.

"She asked me-no, begged me-to kill her," Shaak Ti was saying, having edged back into the argument after Yoda's reprimand. "Anyone who can do that deserves a second chance."

"All she's ever known is violence," Obi-Wan pointed out. "She can learn differently."

"If all she's ever known is violence," Mace countered, "how can she ever learn differently?"

"She's not dumb," Shaak Ti said sharply. "We are sitting here, speaking of her as if she is a common animal that has attacked people, and is being debated whether or not to euthanize it to preserve further life. She's not a disease-ridden hound, she's an intelligent being. She has demonstrated that there is a part of her that Dooku has not corrupted."

"That's right," Obi-Wan chimed in. "On the landing platform, she refused to believe that Dooku had abandoned her until her ordered her shot down. He couldn't even do it himself; he had one of Grievous's guards shoot her with a rifle. She then attacked me when I tried to help her-"

"Exactly!" Yoda piped up, his croaking voice cutting through the conversation like a knife. "Dangerous, she is. Knows limits, she does not. Knows self-control, she does not."

"Dooku had her mind tampered with," Kit interjected. "I would know, I witnessed the surgery to take the chips out of her brain. Poor girl-she never had a choice. Dooku did it when he found her trussed up and near dead. He put her in bacta so she would survive when he left, and just be so enraged that she would kill Obi-Wan and Anakin, who were still there."

Yoda gave a soft hum of thought, putting both hands on his gimer stick and bowing his head in thought. "Skillful, she is," he finally said. "Intelligent, she is. Believe she should live, I do, presented with these new facts."

Shaak Ti breathed a sigh of relief. That was one very influential member of the Council convinced. Others were bound to follow suit! And several did. Now, the vote stood at nine to three, with only Plo Koon and two other masters opposed to Ventress living.

"It's not like she'll become a Jedi," Mace said tiredly. "But she can choose to affiliate with us if she wishes. She won't stay here-or she might, if a master can keep her under their wings for a few days."

"She's not going anywhere," Shaak Ti snorted. "Not when she's suicidal like that. And her wounds? Goodness! I've never seen such burns in my life! You would think she was tortured! Anakin couldn't have done this more humanely, hm? As a healer, I could tell even more so the damage to the tissue within her body. She should have remained in the bacta, and I did consider putting her back into it. But, at this rate, I think her body should just heal itself. It wouldn't be worth it to try to convince her to go back in. But, really..."

Obi-wan shot her a glare. "I'm working on it," he mumbled. "You know Anakin is…rash, sometimes. I told him to be a little nicer about it."

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Whatever. My fault; I brought it up. And now, what are we doing about-?"

"Me?"

The door hissed open, and Ventress was revealed, standing in the doorway. Ki-Adi-Mundi, one of the last remaining masters who opposed Ventress's life, leapt for his saber, the blue blade igniting in his hands as he flashed to his feet. "Move no further, girl," she snarled, "lest you move no more!"

"Peace, masters," Shaak Ti growled, jumping to her feet almost as fast. She sounded something like a defensive cat; a big, dangerous cat, like the tigers of legend. Ventress held up one pale, long-fingered hand, taking a step back to show she hadn't meant to intrude.

"Pardon my poor timing, but I do believe I have something of great value to some of you."

"Oh, really?" Mace said, standing up and glaring at Ventress. "What's so important you had to intrude upon a Council meeting?"

A small disk skittered across the floor, landing directly in the middle of the floor.

Ventress glanced at it, and a surge in the dark side of the Force ignited the holoprojector. Made glared at Ventress; Yoda gave her much of the same. The rest of the Council turned their angry eyes to Ventress, who moved as though their hateful stares meant nothing to her. She moved, instead, to stand behind the chair Shaak Ti usually occupied, waiting politely for the Togruta to return. She remained standing, to show her respect. Shaak Ti returned to her seat, and reluctantly, the other masters that had jumped to their feet did the same. Another trigger from Ventress sent the holoprojector playing a recording-a recording of the Jedi's arch nemesis, the ever-elusive Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan's heart leapt to his throat: what forbidden knowledge did this Rattataki Sith possess?

The recording played out.

"Yes, Darth Tyranus-I am Chancellor Palpatine. And those Jedi fools will never figure it out. You see, this entire war-this is just my Golden Opportunity. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, will be mine-the Jedi Order will be mine, the Republic will be mine, the galaxy will be mine-! Don't you see, Count? This entire war, this entire, beautiful war-nothing but a smokescreen. I will have my victory, no matter the cost!"

The recording ended.

Ventress was smiling slightly when Shaak Ti turned around and stared-just like every other Master in the room. Ventress gave a mocking little bow, raising her hand and calling the holoprojector back.

"Child," Kit gasped, rising slowly to his feet. "You risk death and worse to bring us this information-how-?"

Ventress's smile broadened. "Count Dooku did recognize me as the greatest spy he had ever come across in his time-he almost rejected me as an apprentice, because he thought I was too good a spy to be any good a fighter. But I proved him wrong. Anyway, your Darth Sidious and my Darth Tyranus were having a little rendezvous that they arrogantly excluded me from. Dooku banished me to my room, telling me he would share whatever his master permitted him to. Which was, essentially, nothing, but I was too smart for them. I hid a camera."

"As subtle as a gnat on the wall," Mace muttered incredulously. "I think that settles it, then. Anybody who wants her dead, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Not surprisingly, there were no takers.

**A/N: Second part of the three-part fic. Floating around, and I went on a rampage. I typed both chapters one and two in two days flat. O.O I have never been this into a fic before!!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, so, she's living. What now?"

Mace Windu glanced around the circle of Jedi masters, searching for answer to his question. Their debate had dragged on for a half an hour before Ventress had shown up-and then abruptly ended it. The Rattataki female had remained oddly silent for the past fifteen minutes, as the Council went over their plans for how to accommodate Ventress. But now, she spoke up, and she sounded rather sure of herself.

"I don't want to delay," she finally said. "I want to move now, while the Sith still don't expect us to move, and then, I'll just disappear."

"Where will you go?" Shaak Ti questioned. "What are you planning?"

Ventress shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed. "I just want to go away. As far away as I can fly. Far from the Jedi, from this war, from Dooku. You can deal with him yourself, because I am not strong enough. I will aid you in any way possible-but I just want this to be done with."

Mace and Yoda shared a glance. "Let you go free, we cannot," Yoda said slowly. "Too much trouble, have you caused. Too close with the Sith, you are."

"Were," Ventress corrected sharply. "I just want those traitors to die!"

"Easy," Shaak Ti soothed. "And this is why you can't stay here. All you've ever known is violence-you were never taught how to control your emotions. And, sadly, that's what landed you here. It's not that we're driving you away; it's you that's driving yourself away. You just can't stand being in such an environment where you would be forced to contain your emotions."

"I do have self-control," Ventress mumbled. "It's just rarely exercised."

"Because you were never told it was a good thing, right?" Ki-Adi-Mundi said. The words wre supposed to be a mere statement, but the venom in Ki-Adi's voice was evident. Shaak Ti punched him a glare, and was surprised that Ventress had nothing to say on the matter.

"Exhibit A," the Rattataki finally said, after several more seconds of silence on her part. "I can freely choose to ignore that, and it doesn't bother me as much as you think it does. I can allow my emotions to control me, or I can choose to ignore them. It's quite easy; it's very controllable for me."

Shaak Ti sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Alright, obviously, our priority is Sidious right now. We can't risk this information getting out, and so, we need to move either today or tomorrow. At the very latest, day after tomorrow. But if it's not done then, I send Ventress to do it."

"You would trust her?" Obi-Wan said. "With all due respect to you both, can she be trusted?"

"For the moment," Ventress offered, a sly grin upon her face. "We share a common enemy. Why would I betray my ticket to revenge? Once he's dead, I'll be on my way."

Shaak Ti seemed about to say something, as she opened her mouth and sat up a bit more, but then, she changed her mind. She closed her eyes, holding up a hand as she tried to gather her thoughts, and then leaned forward, setting both elbows on her knees. The Togruta sighed heavily, drawing her mind to one point. "How about you let me do the talking?" she finally said, turning slightly to face Ventress. The woman behind her merely shrugged, as if to say, _no promises._ It was good enough for Shaak Ti.

"Alright, clearly we need to move soon," Agen Kolar said. "I say we do it today. I mean, most of us are here, and so we can spare a few masters to go and-"

"No," Ventress said sharply. "You cannot confront him directly. He's too good for that. One of us needs to go, alone, and pretend to be doing something normal-giving a report, a debriefing, something. And then wait until he turns his back, and then attack. You'll never get him outright like that, no matter how many you take."

Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda. "Well, if it's a matter of strength, than I vote Yoda," he said. "He's the best of us with the Force; he's truly in tune with it, and he's one of the Seven Great Swordsbeing of the Order."

"If that's the case, so are you," Mace pointed out. He ran a hand over his shaved head, and then added, "But Vaapad is dangerous, too. I don't mean to brag, but maybe I should go. My style is the least common, and has the most lethal potential. Palpatine couldn't have fought it before; he hasn't fought me."

"He could still have analyses going," Obi-Wan pointed out. Everyone's gaze turned to Ventress. The Rattataki glanced around uncomfortably, seeing everyone's eyes on her.

"What?" she said. "I don't know everything! But it's more than likely, if that's what you're asking. If anyone close to Sidious has fought Master Windu, than yes, he will be prepared for Vaapad."

Shaak Ti sighed. "That would be Grievous. I would recommend Saesee, but you're offworld. Agen?"

Agen shook his head. "I've had my brushes with the dark side before-I anticipate that fear will awaken within me, and overpower me. My apologies, but no. Master Yoda? Your opinion?"

Yoda offered a small hum of thought, and the room fell silent, waiting for the shriveled little alien's decision. His face slowly turned to each member of the Council in turn-first to Mace on his right, and then moving counterclockwise around the circle, viewing each physically present member in turn. His eyes lingered on Ventress for a moment, but he sighed and closed his eyes at the sight of her. Ventress wasn't offended-she had never even wanted to be considered, and knew it was impossible for her to carry out the mission. She would instantly raise suspicion. Yoda continued his examination of the circle, finally ending with Obi-Wan, on his left. He paused again, closing his eyes and bowing his head, sinking into the Force for guidance. Without opening his eyes, or lifting his head, he wordlessly extended a finger, pointing to the member of the Council the Force dictated to choose.

There was a collective gasp from the group.

Shaak Ti had been chosen.

"Of us all, the greatest you are," Yoda said solemnly. "The Force has chosen you, Jedi master Shaak Ti, to go and kill the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Go, my child, and rid us of the Sith."

Shaak Ti paused, bowing her head in thought. She was just trying to safely absorb the realization. A hand on her shoulder drew her gaze upward, and she saw Ventress standing over her, looking down with something unreadable on her face. Shaak Ti suspected it was Ventress's version of concern.

"Go," she said softly. "I don't doubt you. She who can turn a Sith's heart-she who can execute a Sith. I'll be waiting with the other masters. Don't worry about me getting into trouble."

Shaak Ti smiled dryly. "Thanks for the concern," she said lightly. "If I may, master Yoda, may I take one other with me?"

Yoda paused to meditate again, and then slowly nodded. Shaak Ti took her own glances around the circle, finally settling on Obi-Wan. "Your insights saved Ventress," Shaak Ti said, standing up and turning to face Obi-Wan head-on. "And your insights have served us well before. Your mastery over a blade is impressive, as well. Simple, yet effective. Your personality directs Soresu in ways I have never seen so effective before. You keep a calm head in a crisis, and you're a very diplomatic person. I request that you do this with me."

Obi-Wan looked surprised. He could safely say that he wasn't keen on the idea. "Master Ti, you surpass me in every one of those ways listed," he said, trying feebly to talk her out of it. "You wish my assistance?"

"He will be prepared for advanced moves and styles," Ventress interjected. "Your simple, sloppy style will throw him off if it comes to conflict."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Obi-Wan said slowly, glaring at Ventress. The Rattataki shrugged innocently. She told it like it was. You didn't like it, learn to live. Obi-Wan sighed, and then pushed himself to his feet. "Shall we?" he asked, turning to Shaak Ti. The Togruta nodded once, offered a bow to the Council, and then took a step towards the door. She paused, however, and then stepped back again, moving to stand close to Ventress.

"Whatever you do, do not come after me," she hissed under her breath. "He can play you like a violin. He can punish you in ways no one has even heard of. He can use you, and he can kill you. Stay here, and remain with someone in this room at all times. Have I made myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

Ventress offered Shaak Ti a small bow of respect, which seemed to placate the orange-skinned humanoid Jedi. She motioned to Obi-Wan to proceed her out of the Council chamber, and the two progressed down the hall, out of sight, until the doors hissed shut again, barring them from view. Ventress sighed with longing, but she knew she had to stay away from the battle. She couldn't risk her own demise, or that of the Jedi around her, at Sidious's hands. She moved closer to the windows around the room, leaning against the permaglass with one shoulder and staring out into the skies with empty eyes.

Mace almost felt bad.

"I'll keep an eye on her," he volunteered. "We are adjourned, then. Unless, you would all like to remain to see what happens?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm kind of cutting it close as it is," Saesee Tiin said, from whatever world he was on. "My apologies, but I'll have to leave. But please, by all means: contact me with the news."

Yoda nodded. "We will. May the Force be with you, Master Tiin."

Saesee nodded, and returned the parting words before his hologram disappeared. Ki-Adi-Mundi, anxious as ever to get away from Ventress, stood up, bowed, and left without a word. Plo Koon followed suit, and Coleman Kcajr's hologram disappeared. Yoda looked a bit distracted as it was, and so, he stood up and left the room to meditate, although he promised his return. Kit and Mace Windu chose to stay for the entire duration of the meeting, and voiced their decisions. Even Piell left for a few minutes, returning after getting something to drink. Kit Fisto left for a few moments and then returned with food, which he passed around the circle of remaining members. Ventress declined when offered something to eat-or drink-by both Mace and Stass Allie. The healer Jedi finally got up and coaxed Ventress into taking something to drink, but the former Sith stubbornly refused a seat. She claimed it was rude to sit in the presence of her superiors. Someone had then made a snarky comment about how Ventress was right about being inferior to them, to which Mace smacked Kit Fisto upside the head. Ventress then seemed to be having trouble containing herself.

"Care to put your credits where your mouth is?" she hissed, suddenly turning away from the window. Her skirts followed suit half a second after her, creating a dramatic flair. "Just a friendly spar," Ventress coaxed. "I want to see if this sarcastic water-dweller has enough power to justify his words."

"Let's not get out of hand," Mace said quickly. He was still worried about Ventress's rage emerging, and he had promised Shaak Ti he would keep Ventress on a short leash.

"No weapons, then," Ventress said, trying to reach a compromise. "I don't have one anyway, so someone would have had to let me borrow theirs. It's never quite the same."

"I'd take it," Kit said, a smirk on his face, "But I can't hit a girl."

"We'll wrestle, then," Ventress said. "No punches, kicks are allowed, and the first one to have their shoulders pinned down for three consecutive seconds loses. Sound fair?"

"Someone neutral keeps score," Kit said, already shrugging out of his outer robe. "Call your own fouls."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Mace protested. "You can _not _just randomly arrange a fight in here! This is a sacred place, and you can't just disregard that!"

"We're not doing this out of maliciousness," Kit reasoned. "There will be no blood, no anger, and after this, I doubt we'll fight again. So think of it as sacrificing a toe for the leg."

Mace sighed. He regretted having Yoda leave the room, for however short an amount of time, because he lost a valuable force of reckoning. He also lost a voice of reason. Kit's logic also made sense, regrettably, and so, Mace gave in. "Fine, but we keep this to five minutes. After that, if no one's won, I call it off. But beware, if either of you take it too far, I will stop you, and the consequences will be severe."

"Understood," Ventress hissed, her eyes narrowing in excitement at the prospect of a spar.

"Understood," Kit said. But somehow, he made the word much less threatening, and much more light-hearted. Mace thought that was incredibly in tune with Kit's personality. The green-skinned Jedi had always had a certain air about him, one that just banished tension from the air…

Ventress smiled, reaching around behind her and dropping her belt from her waist. "Your conditions are fair," she said, addressing Kit. She reached around her back again, and the rest of the people there could hear the sound of fabric swishing away from a body and dropping to the floor. Ventress had shed her volumous skirt, letting it fall to the floor around her ankles and revealing her tiny shorts and wraps. Kit turned his eyes away from Ventress's long, slender legs, outlined further by the skin-tight wraps and sinfully tiny shorts. He wasn't sure that should be legal, let alone allowed in the temple.

And she wasted no time. She attacked.

A blur of white was all he saw before Ventress was in his face, taking his shoulders and setting her entire weight against him. Kit tumbled over backwards, the air being knocked from his lungs as Ventress took the first power position. She set her weight in Kit's hips and then leaned forward, setting the heels of her hands in his shoulders, under his collarbones. She could hear someone counting out a second and a half before she was rolled over onto her back, and suddenly, their positions were reversed. The count began again, but Ventress was smarter. She pulled her legs into her chest, forming a barrier between herself and Kit. With a sharp kick to the stomach, Ventress sent Kit flying, and then jumped nimbly to her feet. "Come on, bantha fur-ball, is that all you've got?!" she taunted. Kit smiled, climbing to his feet from his skid. Ventress had sent him flying and so, to avoid breaking glass, Mace had reached up and grabbed the Nautolean's ankle. Kit composed himself, grinning and wiping a bit of spit from his face.

"As a matter of fact, I was just getting warmed up," he said, and moved into range again. Ventress rose forward onto the balls of her feet, anticipating the next move. Adrenaline began to rush-Ventress could feel it, coursing through her veins as if in battle. Her fingers hummed with the energy; her arms burned with the unspent power. Legs tightened and twitched, itching to run and jump. Ventress and Kit circled each other for a moment, each sizing up the other with deadly accuracy. From off to her right, Ventress heard Even Piell mutter, "I'm putting my money on the Rattataki."

"I'll take that," Stass Allie said. "Ventress has speed, but she lacks the physical size and weight necessary to win a wrestling match."

"I beg to differ," Even retorted. "Her speed and agility allow her to get out of Kit's way. The way she kicked him earlier? A product of her flexibility and small size."

Ventress tuned out the rest of the conversation, instead taking the offense again. She took two running steps, and aimed a strong kick at Kit's gut. Kit caught her foot easily, but Ventress had anticipated the move. She used Kit's hold on her foot as a stepping ladder, jumping up to put all her weight into Kit's hands. She managed to get herself around the back of the green-skinned Jedi, and then locked her arms around his neck. She hooked her hand behind her opposite arm, pulling as hard as she could. She wrapped her legs around Kit's waist for added security. "Tap or snap," she hissed in his ear, referring to an old term used in fighting. "Tap" referred to the way one could exit a fight-by conceding defeat. By tapping twice on your opponent's arm, you conceded defeat and thus, the victory went to the other party. If you didn't tap in three seconds, the opponent reserved the right to snap whatever part of you they had a hold of. And time was running down for Kit.

Kit fell over backwards, putting Ventress in the way and forcing her to get out from underneath him to avoid the fall. The ploy worked; Ventress fled from out from under the bulky alien, but then returned a second later-on top of him. She pinned his shoulders down, and waited for the three seconds to be up. Hopefully, the fall had knocked the wind out of him-

It hadn't.

Kit shoved Ventress back, taking a deep breath in the few second sit had gained him. He sprang to his feet, then, and this time, it was Kit who took the offensive. Ventress reached out to grab his arm when he reached for her, but Kit was one step ahead. He grabbed Ventress arm and pulled her down, directly onto his waiting knee. Ventress took a coughing, sputtering breath, staggering backwards and wiping a bit of blood from her face.

"No foul," she panted, seeing what game Kit was playing. They were both toeing the line of the rules set earlier, and Ventress refused to be the one who chickened out. "Come on, let's have it!"

Kit smirked, coming at her again. Ventress was smart, though, and the same trick didn't work on her twice. She dodged left, and put in a kick at Kit's gut. Kit dodged it easily, and their moves seemed to cycle. The fight dragged on, neither able to gain an edge. Ventress's slender figure and agility gave her an advantage, but Kit's sheer size and strength over hers gave him the edge. Ventress finally managed to get close to Kit, and leaned forward as if to strike. Kit dodged to the side, right into Ventress's other hand. She grabbed the lightsaber hanging from his belt, whipping it into her hand with a firm _smack!_ Ventress twirled the blade elegantly, igniting it with a flick of her thumb. She paused, blade poised in a defensive position, and waited for Kit's next move.

The room held still.

Ventress had a lightsaber, and Kit didn't. Mace could feel his heart leap into his throat. He had wanted to honor Kit's feelings, and thus allowed the fight to take place, but he hadn't realized Kit had neglected to remove his lightsaber from his belt. He hadn't thought Ventress would go for such a bold move. Would she attempt an escape? Would she attack? No, she was too smart for that-plus, Mace couldn't feel any malevolence in the Force. She wasn't going to move, then? Mace couldn't see any part of her that thrummed with the excitement of the victory, but she could easily be deceiving them. Mace readied himself to intervene, if necessary.

"No foul," Kit finally said, after several seconds of dead silent and bated breath. "But I concede defeat."

Ventress smiled, deactivating the saber and tossing it back to Kit. The Nautolean caught it easily, clipping it back to his belt and offering a hand to Ventress. Ventress accepted, shaking hands with Kit and keeping the fight friendly. Kit then walked back over to where he had dropped his outer robe, picking it up and swinging it back over his shoulders. Ventress moved over to where she had dumped her extra clothes, and picked up her skirt, wrapping it around her waist and settling it back into place. She put her belt back on over it, and checked to make sure her top had not slipped. Settled back into her skin now, Ventress sat down on the floor, next to the empty chair that was Shaak Ti's. She couldn't help the stab of nostalgia that accompanied the motion-but still, she hid it behind a mask of adrenaline rush. Ventress settled into a cross-legged position, pushing her skirt down between her legs to try to convince those around her of her dignity. Ventress was proud to say that she wasn't a slut-at least, off the battlefield-and that she maintained her chastity.

Conversation returned as usual in the Council chamber, but the tense air could not be cleared. Yoda re-entered a minute after everyone had settled again, and he had taken his seat next to Mace. There was still that tension of waiting, however, of now knowing the outcome of an event-an event that could change the course of the galaxy forever. One by one, conversations ceased. Even and Stass Allie, formerly chatting about lightsaber colors, were the first to fall silent. Stass Allie tried, in vain, to talk to Ventress, but the Rattataki was too nervous to keep much conversation. She tried, to her credit, but neither woman could continue much of a conversation. Kit, who had been talking to Yoda and Mace about his wrestling tactics, dropped out of the conversation when the topic began to stray towards the effectiveness of Force lightning, and then, finally, Yoda and Mace fell silent. The entire room became as silent as a tomb: one that Ventress found herself squirming about, feeling like her analogy was too close to the truth. The minutes ticked by, but each felt like an hour to the remaining members of the Council-and especially the one lone Sith, sitting on the floor and trying to meditate. She was sitting cross-legged still, but was hovering a few inches above the ground, deep in concentration with the Force. Yoda was the first to follow her into meditation: Mace did the same, seeing Yoda doing so, and the rest of the Council mirrored his movements. Kit was the last to leave the waking world, and he was reluctant to do so to begin with. Anything could happen, he claimed, and he was not going to be the one to miss out on it!

Ventress was stirring, though. Her bad feeling about before had done nothing but worsen over the course of the next hours, made even worse by the fact that she couldn't even feel the dark side of the Force. What had happened to Dooku? What was happening to Sidious? Ventress took a deep breath, seeking out the dark side, gently probing with her mind to try and find the source of the Jedi's biggest nightmares-

The second she touched it, she screamed in agony.

Ventress recoiled from the dark side, snapping back into the light of the real world. The howling of a million winds drove her mad, and she fell to her knees, gasping and clutching at her chest. Ventress squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain again. She could hear others murmuring around her, but she was still struggling with the visions that suddenly berated her-

_Shaak Ti, bathed in light, standing over a fallen Palpatine, just pulling her lightsaber from his chest and making sure the deed was done and would stay done by taking off the traitor's head-_

_Obi-Wan, wounded and bleeding, telling Shaak Ti to keep fighting-_

_Shaak Ti, crouched over her fallen comrade, hands over a tear in his stomach, burned open by lightsaber, transferring some of the light she was radiating into him, the wound closing-_

_Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti, setting fire to the body of Darth Sidious, who had gone all-out to stop Shaak Ti as soon as he could, which was only after she had stabbed him through the chest-_

_Palpatine, still fighting, drawing on the dark side to compensate for Shaak Ti's wound in his chest-_

_And finally, the light around Shaak Ti intensifying, and then becoming almost like that of a divinity as Palpatine was killed-_

And then Ventress realized-since she had touched the dark side, and Shaak Ti's light was attacking anything in the dark, she had harmed herself in the process. "They won," she said softly, struggling to get her breathing back under control. "They won!" she repeated, struggling to bring herself back upright. "They're both alive, and they're okay. Obi-Wan was wounded, but Shaak Ti healed him, and now they're heading back to us-they burned the body, so he's not coming back…"

There was a huge release of breath from the remaining Council members, and suddenly, they were all crowding around Ventress. Mace took a hold of Ventress's left arm, and pulled her to her feet, asking her if she was okay, why she had felt such pain, how she knew these things-Ventress shook her head, trying to push through the throng of Jedi. "We have to get to the landing platform," she said. "I need to know…for myself. I just need to see it…it's too hard to believe."

Mace nodded, and released Ventress's arm. "Let's go," he said to Yoda. "We'll go on ahead," he said to the remaining masters. "You stay with her, please, and get her to the hangar bay when you can. Master Yoda and I will-"

"No."

Ventress's bold defiance startled Mace and Yoda alike. Had the girl not heard Shaak Ti? She was to remain with Mace or someone else from the Council, and obey them! Ventress hissed slightly at the pain, and then took a deep breath and drew herself up straight. "I will not be a burden," she said. "That was what caused Dooku to leave me, and I will not have it happen again."

"Notice we didn't leave you out," Mace said dryly, "but instead told you to come at your own pace. But we can argue that later. Come on!"

Ventress nodded, and suddenly sprang into action. She was a blur of white and purple and brown, the colors of her skin and her clothes mixing as she darted through the hallways of the Jedi temple, aiming for the hangar bay closest to the Council room. She knew they would land there-the view was exactly the same. Mace and Yoda had a hard time keeping up with her, but managed: they would not let themselves fall behind to a former Sith! The rest of the Council lagged a bit, but arrived moments after Ventress streaked onto the landing platform. She opened the doors with a wave of the Force, charging out into the hangar with little thought, or regard to what might be behind those doors-

The ship was just landing.

Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan jumped out as soon as the landing ramp was lowered, Shaak Ti looking worried, and Obi-Wan looking frantic. Not the expressions anyone had expected to see. "Where is Anakin?" Shaak Ti cried, running right to Mace and taking his shoulders in her grip. Mace, a bit overwhelmed by Shaak Ti's charge, took a staggering step back, holding his arms out before him defensively.

"Easy," he warned, gently taking Shaak Ti's hand sin his own. "He's in the temple. I had Luminara keep him busy, using the excuse that she needed him to fix her airspeeder. It worked, and he's still there, with no idea what's going on."

Shaak Ti breathed a sigh of relief, and Obi-Wan did the same. "Thank the Force," she said breathlessly. "If he felt that at all-"

"I did," Ventress said ruefully. "It was a total accident, I swear!" she said quickly, seeing Shaak Ti's expression. Recognizing the Togruta's scathing glare, she switched tactics: "I wasn't fighting anyone or anything! It was nothing involving the Force! I was just-" Shaak Ti's glare still didn't cut off, and so Ventress switched methods again. "I can explain, if you'll just give me a chance-!"

"Alright then, go ahead," Shaak Ti said frostily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was meditating, and couldn't feel anything in the Force, it was like it was neutralized in my body, so I reached for it, and, since I was going in blind, I accidently touched the dark side, and it really, really hurt, and then I got these visions, and I saw what was happening in Palpatine's office, and I saw you, and Obi-Wan, and Palpatine, and the light, and the flames, and the lightsabers, and-ow, my head hurts…"

"Did you take a breath that entire time?" Kit asked incredulously, staring at Ventress as if she had grown a second head. "That's impressive. Beats Anakin blowing up the toaster. On the bright side, we had really crispy waffles…"

Shaak Ti smiled at Kit. "That was pretty funny," she said, recalling the incident. "But we need to take care of the here and now. Is everyone alright?"

Mace glanced around, taking an account. He then nodded to Shaak Ti, who moved on to ask, "Did anyone go off on their own?" This time, everyone shook their heads. Shaak Ti took a deep breath, and then held up her hands. "Alright, I will see to Ventress. Master Allie, if you could kindly see to Master Kenobi's wound, I would be much obliged. I healed it while in my trance, and so, I don't know how good a job I did." Seeing everyone's confused looks, Shaak Ti waved them off, saying, "I'll explain later. But for now, find Anakin, and do not tell him what has happened. Master Kenobi knows what to do; I've briefed him on our plan. He'll take care of the ending of this war once it is confirmed that he is able to do so. Go into the Council chamber, see to his wounds, and there he will tell you what is to be done. Go, now, hurry!"

The remaining Council members scurried off, Obi-Wan at their forefront, heading for the Council chamber. Ventress and Shaak Ti remained, alone on the landing dock, save for the droids. Ventress looked rather ashamed of herself; she avoided meeting Shaak Ti's eyes, and she would occasionally bite her lower lip out of worry. She could tell that Shaak Ti wasn't happy, for some reason: not angry, but not happy. She wondered if she could maybe do something to lessen her displeasure.

"I'm sorry."

Shaak Ti sighed. "Don't be," she said slowly. "You did nothing wrong. But, now, we are all faced with a choice. You are staying for now, that I am sure of. But, once the Jedi have ended the war officially, you may not want to remain here. What are you going to do then? Where are you going to go? What are you going to do for a living? You can't be a Sith; you can't be a Jedi. You can't be good; you can't be evil. You yourself don't even know, do you? Do you even know what you want to do? You walk the line, Ventress, and you are left with a decision not many people ever get the chance to make. For most of us, our destiny is set in stone before we are even born. But for you, Ventress-your destiny seems to have been overlooked." Shaak Ti tried to catch Ventress's eye, but the Rattataki was doing her best not to make eye contact. Shaak Ti reached out, trying to keep her movements slow and fluid, as not to startle Ventress. She was certain Dooku hadn't been kind about punishing her for failures. Shaak Ti gently took Ventress's chin in her hand, and turned her face to look up into Shaak Ti's obsidian pools of emotion.

"Well?" Shaak Ti asked. "I'm not going to overlook you-not this time. You deserve better. There's a part of you that doesn't yet know maliciousness, malignance, war, betrayal, hate, even sadness and pain: look for that part of yourself. Look for the sun. I know you burn easily, but the sun will help." Shaak Ti offered Ventress as kind a smile as she could muster, and let her hand fall back to her side.

_And when it rains,  
Will you always find an escape?  
Just running away,  
From all of the ones who love you,  
From everything.  
You made yourself a bed  
At the bottom of the blackest hole  
And you'll sleep 'til May  
And you'll say that you don't want to see the sun anymore._

"Go," Shaak Ti encouraged. "I need to see to ending this war. I will call you when I need you. Can I trust you to go to one of the masters and just stay with them?"

Ventress nodded. "I'll find Luminara," she said. "And apologize. I want her to know that I bore her no ill will; it was nothing personal, just the war-"

"It's fine," Shaak Ti said. "I'll talk with her later, to make sure you made it to her alright. Fare well, Ventress."

Ventress couldn't bring herself to tell Shaak Ti that the words he had spoken to her would be the last.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Hold up a second!"

Ventress leapt aboard the public transportation heading away from the landing dock at the last second, just as the doors closed. She had nothing to carry with her; she had no weapons, no luggage, just her person and a bit of money had hidden on herself for this reason exactly. She usually kept a few credits in her clothes, just in case. She paid the driver, saying, "As far as you'll go. I don't care in what direction, just…just go."

"How does Rattatak sound, miss, seeing as you're a native of that planet?"

Ventress felt something like guilt and sorrow stab at her heart, but the emotions were foreign to her, so she didn't know what they were. "Perfect," she said, and accepted her change from the pilot. She took a seat at the back of the bus, and waited while they jumped to hyperspace.

It would be a clean break, unlike with her and Dooku. She had left a parting note, though, just to make sure she could say everything she wanted to say-and so that Shaak Ti didn't think ill of her. She stared out the window as the ship departed, drawing away from Coruscant's surface. As the ship gained momentum, it flew faster and faster, and soon, Ventress couldn't even make out the Jedi temple anymore. She still stared, though, at the metallic-gray planet beneath her, as it slowly became nothing but a sphere hovering in the sky, seemingly suspended in mid-air. It reminded Ventress of the first time she had moved something with the Force: she had balanced a ball above her hand, and she remembered thinking that it was amazing that the ball could simply hand there, in suspended animation, at nothing more than a thought or her will. Now, though, Ventress knew that there was something larger at work. The universe was still an amazing phenomenon, despite.

As they jumped to hyperspace, Ventress found herself lost, again, in thought. This was going to be impossible for her to let go of. Her entire life had known nothing but bloodshed and horror and pain and-

Ventress stopped herself. If she was going to remain true to her own word, she needed to simply forgive…and forget.

* * *

Asajj's parting letter to the Jedi is as follows:

_Dear Shaak Ti:_

_I can't help but say that everything you have done for me is extraordinary. You helped me realize myself, and you helped me realize that I really am more than a mere tool to be used and then thrown away like trash. I promise, I won't harm myself. I have much better things to do. Now that I know who I truly am, I know what I was truly called to do. I am going to represent the Jedi in the Outer Rim worlds. Maybe we'll run into each other again. Maybe not. Either way, please know that I have returned to the light, and this time, I'll stay. I carry no saber, no blaster, no weapon except myself and the Force. I aim to be like Fay. Maybe you remember her? Remarkable woman; if you didn't know her, I advise you to look her up. She was truly an amazing person, and I am truly sorry to have killed her. But, rest assured, I have changed._

_Fay never used a saber in her life; I will not touch one again, except in dire need. I will spend my days settling conflicts in the Outer Rim, and I hope I can maybe redeem myself by serving the light. But, Shaak Ti, please know this: my true goal is to be like you. Such a remarkable woman are you, to brave the strongest Sith in centuries without fear! I know now what you did: you took the entire of the Force into your body, and channeled it to save the universe. For that, I am sure the world is in your debt. I sensed it on you before: you have become truly intertwined with the Force, and I can see it in your eyes: you have become immortal. You'll live forever, unless you choose to give your life force to someone else._

_Convey my apologies to Obi-Wan: he was only trying to help me, but I couldn't see it. I am sorry for that, and I hope he can forgive me. Anakin: I forgive you, and I hope you can do the same. Masters of the Council, I am grateful for your mercy, and your trust in both Shaak Ti and myself. I apologize also to Luminara, and to Ahsoka, for harming you in the past. But I pray you can understand my causes, and reasons for my actions. I could not see the light, and I have you, Shaak Ti, to thank for the fact that I now can. I have given up my Rattataki makeup, and my Sith sabers. I no longer seek to kill, but instead, to give life. No, I will never marry, or have children. With any luck, I can retain my chastity until my death. I will remain true to the Force, hopefully with as little distraction as possible._

_Yoda, be flexible._

_Mace, be humble._

_Ki-Adi, be trusting._

_Obi-wan, be confident._

_Anakin, be thoughtful._

_And finally-I will miss you all. Fare well without me, and I hope we will someday meet again._

_Asajj Ventress_


End file.
